LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



FACING 

 PAGE 



The improved amaryllis, with the blossoms almost a foot 

 across and of great brilliancy . . Frontispiece 



Luther Burbank ...... 1 



Mr. Burbank's home at Santa Rosa, California . .16 



On the proving grounds at Sebastopol. Pampas grass in 



the center, various bulbous plants in the foreground . 21 



Walnut-leaf variation. To the left, common English walnut; 

 to the right, the native California black walnut; in the 

 center, the new hybrid ** Paradox," bred from the 

 other two . . * . . .28 



One of the hybrid chestnuts bearing nuts at eighteen 



months of age from the seed . . . .35 



A bed of hybrid poppies . . . . .46 



The central poppy, a brilliant scarlet with purple center, is 

 the offspring of the other two. The one to the left, 

 Papaver pilosum, a delicate orange ; the one to the right, 

 Papaver somniferum, the "Bride poppy," a pure white. 

 Leaves of each are shown . . . .53 



Variation in hybrid poppy leaves. Out of two thousand 



plants no two were alike . . . .60 



Hundreds of rare hybrid potato plants under glass nearly 



ready for transplanting . . . . .67 



Wild Arizona potatoes used in breeding to give strength 



and hardiness to the common potato . . .78 



xi 



